Are You an Expert on Ancient Rome?

Created around 450 BCE, the Twelve Tables were Rome’s earliest written laws. They were inscribed on bronze tablets and were meant to ensure the protection of legal rights for Rome’s citizens, or plebeians, and prevent the upper-class patricians from abusing their power. The tablets were displayed in the Roman Forum and though other laws were later established, the tablet laws were never officially abolished.

The color purple has been associated with royalty since antiquity, in part because quantities of the dye used to make the color were so limited. It was sourced from the city of Tyre, in modern Lebanon, and made from a rare species of sea snail. Just one pound of the dye could cost more than a year’s wages for a commoner. Purple clothing was thus so rare and sought after that some emperors forbade Roman citizens from wearing the color altogether.

One of Caesar’s greatest victories, the Battle of Alesia was fought in 52 BCE in modern-day eastern France. In the leadup to the battle, the Roman army laid siege to Gallic forces, building a dual system of walls around the city that cut off reinforcements and supplies. Vercingetorix, the legendary chief who had united disparate Gallic troops under his command, was ultimately defeated, ending Gallic independence.

A former general and senator, Trajan became emperor in 117 CE and ruled for 19 years. He began an ambitious building project in Rome, but he spent much of his energy expanding the empire. By the end of his reign it stretched from North Africa to Scotland and from the Mediterranean to modern-day Iraq.

Known as Tarquin the Proud, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was the seventh and final king of Rome and was a descendant of Etruscan rulers. Though much of early Roman history is shrouded in legend, Superbus was known as a tyrant, whose violent reign inspired his overthrow in 510 BCE. Soon after, Rome abolished the monarchy and established the Roman Republic.

Throughout Caesar’s military career, he invaded Gaul (part of modern-day France and Belgium), Britain, and Spain. He conquered Gaul in 58 BCE, followed by invasions into Britain in 54 BCE and Spain in 49 BCE. Caesar had made plans to invade Persia, but he died before they came to fruition.

During its height in 117 CE, the Roman Empire encompassed an area of roughly 5 million square kilometers across Europe, Africa, and Asia. When Diocletian became emperor in 284 CE, he recognized that the empire was too large for just one person to rule. He divided the empire in half, naming himself emperor of the Eastern Empire and his son-in-law, Maximian, as the Caesar of Rome.

If you visit the Colosseum in Rome, be sure to also admire its impressive neighbor: the Arch of Constantine, the world’s largest surviving Roman triumphal arch. Constructed around 315 CE to honor the emperor’s victory, the triple-arched corinthian design has been imitated around the world. Other famous Roman triumphal arches include the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Janus, both also located in Rome.

Built in 312 BCE, the Via Appia, or Appian Way, was Rome’s first major road. More than 120 miles long, it linked the city with Capua to the south, and was initially used as a military supply route. A marvel of engineering for its time thanks to its straight lines, it was called the “queen of the roads.” It was later extended and served as a model for the extensive road system that linked the Roman Empire.

An emperor was the sole leader of Rome, and technically had to answer to no one, not even the Senate — unless the Praetorian Guard was unhappy with them. The Guard’s main duty was to protect the emperor, but if they felt the emperor was misusing their power, or if they wanted someone else to take charge, they would overthrow and assassinate the ruler.

The original Roman calendar consisted of only 10 months and 304 days, and started the year with March. Originally called Martius, it was named after the Roman god of war, Mars. Up next was Aprilis, likely named for the Latin word aperire meaning “to open.” Maia and Juno were named after the goddess of warmth and fertility. The other months were named for their numerical order in the calendar.

The position of Roman emperor was for life. Typically, emperors chose their successors and were assisted by them during their final years in preparation for the new emperor to take over. Sometimes the heir was a son or relative, but other times it was a fellow statesman. Still, the lifelong term meant emperors were often at risk of assassination by power-hungry rivals.

The Romans were master builders with many impressive feats of engineering to show for it. Of these, the largest continuous structure was Hadrian’s Wall, a stone wall stretching 73 miles long, built with 17 forts to keep the local Caledonians from raiding the empire’s conquered territory in Great Britain. The initial construction was completed around 130 CE under the emperor Hadrian.

Emperor Justinian reformed Byzantine law in 528 CE, updating the old Roman rules to be clearer, more efficient, and more effective. The Justinian Code was used as the basis for the Byzantine Empire (also called the Eastern Roman Empire) for 900 years. It had such a big impact on the law that it continues to influence many western legal systems today.

The centuries-long conflict known as the Punic Wars pitted Rome’s military might against Carthage, then the greatest naval power in the world. It included legendary generals on both sides, such as Carthage’s Hannibal and Rome’s Scipio Africanus. By the end of the Third Punic War, Carthage’s capital in North Africa (modern-day Tunis, Tunisia) had been destroyed, and its empire came under Roman control.

Formed in 60 BCE, the First Triumvirate was an uneasy alliance between three Roman generals: Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. The alliance divided up the governance of Rome between the three men in an attempt to quell the political chaos that riddled the Roman Republic. The alliance began to disintegrate when Crassus died, and it finally ended when Caesar and Pompey fought on opposing sides in the Roman Civil War.

Spartacus was born in Thrace (the modern-day Balkans) and served in the Roman army before deserting. Sold into slavery, he escaped a gladiatorial training camp in 73 BCE with dozens of fellow enslaved workers, launching a movement that would eventually grow to nearly 100,000. Using guerilla tactics, they defeated the Roman forces, until General Marcus Crassus crushed the rebellion in 71 BCE and Spartacus was killed in the battle.

The Pantheon remains a marvel of engineering to this day. It sits atop the site of an earlier building and was completed in 128 CE. Its circular shape of concrete and brick is topped with a dome 142 feet in diameter and 71 feet tall. Historians still aren’t quite sure how it was built, but it has influenced numerous later buildings, including the U.S. Capitol.

In 49 BCE, Caesar and his army crossed the Rubicon River into Italy. By doing so, Caesar declared himself an enemy of the Roman Senate when he entered its territory. The act sparked a five-year civil war, and when Caesar emerged the victor, he was declared dictator for life.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, it entombed the ancient city of Pompeii in ash and pumice, leaving few survivors. The excavated remains of the ancient city are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.

The Romans didn’t invent the aqueduct, but they did master it. The systems were comprised of tunnels, canals, and pipes, but are best known for their massive arched bridges. While earlier civilizations had used arches in construction, Roman advances allowed for new designs built from concrete and stone. Most aqueducts were built throughout the Empire between 312 BC and 226 CE, and some are still in use today.

The ancient Roman Empire was led by a series of emperors, beginning with Augustus, who assumed the role in 27 BCE. Other famous emperors include Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, and Romulus Augustulus, who served as the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. Julius Caesar never actually held the role of emperor, but many leaders after him took the name “Caesar” to mean “emperor of Rome,” which is the root of the titles “kaiser” in Germany and “tsar” in Russia.